Top Ten Pink Floyd Songs for Audiophiles

Published Wednesday, April 23, 2008 @ 9:55 am • 58 Responses

[ Photo: Pink Floyd ]

The music of Pink Floyd is an audiophile’s wet dream. It is at once diverse, complex, intricate, rhythmic, mysterious, and downright heavy. The vastly inspiring soundscapes created by Pink Floyd are perfect for late nights spent working on the computer. Given a nice pair of high-quality headphones, the following hand-picked collection of Pink Floyd songs is sure to elevate your listening experience to the next level.

#10: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Over five minutes of pure sonic bliss. An excellent example of why Pink Floyd remains highly influential within experimental, electronic, and ambient music genres. Originally released on Saucerful of Secrets.
#09: Obscured by Clouds
The title track on Floyd’s second film score, Obscured by Clouds, is slow and heavy, like some murderous drama played backwards and in slow motion. Hard to believe they threw this down in 1972.
#08: The Narrow Way
This is a complex, deeply moving set of 3 songs from Ummagumma. The three tracks unfold in timeless mystery, invoking a mystical depression that is secretly explored and finally resolved in the final set. Even after listening to this song hundreds of times, I still cannot claim to fully comprehend its layered meanings. If you are familiar with this song, I would love to hear your interpretation.
#07: Astronomy Domine
There are several “official” recorded versions of Astronomy Domine (e.g., Ummagumma), each of them incredible in their own unique way. For me, the song’s brilliant intensity became all too real after hearing (and seeing) it played live by Pink Floyd in Vancouver, B.C. The arena was packed. After a long wait for the band to begin, the subtle sounds of a trickling stream slowly filled the atmosphere. Just as we began to trip out on the flowing waters, the stadium was ripped apart with the explosive opening sequence of Astronomy Domine. I almost crapped myself. Absolutely unforgettable.
#06: On the Run / Time
Many people have heard Dark Side of the Moon, but few know it well enough to discern the different songs, especially on the first half of the album. After opening with Speak to Me and Breathe, the musical voyage drifts into the surreal soundscape of On the Run, which suddenly bursts into the monumental track, Time. Although this entire four-song opening sequence is perhaps the Floyd’s finest offering, Time stands out as a highly profound, musically diverse meditation of perpetual relevance. Most essential.
#05: Shine on You Crazy Diamond
This song is broken up into two halves, each which is further divided into distinct segments (parts I - V and VI - IX). Taken in its entirety, Shine on is a timeless voyage that invites focus, inspires memory, and invokes emotion. To many, Shine on epitomizes the essence of the Pink Floyd sound. Originally released on Wish You Were Here.
#04: Another Brick in the Wall
Taken together, Pink Floyd’s three-piece set from The Wall is about as diverse and musically intense as it gets. The set opens with a quiet, subconscious contemplation, breaks into a chanting academic rock anthem (with a scorching, first-take Gilmour solo), and concludes with an existential resolution and transcendental momentum. As delivered, these songs provide context to The Wall while demonstrating the musical maturity of the band.
#03: Dogs / Pigs
If you are unfamiliar with Animals, you are missing out on some of Pink Floyd’s highest, heaviest, most intense music. On every level — musically, lyrically, emotionally — Animals will utterly peel your cap back. If you lack the time to sit through the entire recording, focus on either Pigs or Dogs (or both). You may not “get it” the first time (or three), but rest assured, it’s all there. Quality headphones absolutely mandatory.
#02: Unknown Song
A surprising number of Pink Floyd fans have never heard this brilliant song. Originally released on the relatively rare Zabriskie Point soundtrack, the Unknown Song is Pink Floyd flowing at their best, a timeless expression of instrumental bliss. Best if taken with zero stress, a relaxed mood, and an open mind.
#01: Fearless
This is my all-time favorite Pink Floyd song. I am moved to tears (in a good way) nearly every time I listen to it. The lyrics speak to me on many levels, and the music represents Floyd flowing together as one. I love the way the song ends with a chorus of “You’ll never walk alone.” — Very intense and inspiring. Originally released on Meddle.

Speak to me..

One of the great things about Pink Floyd is that they mean so many different things to so many different people. Everybody who listens to them does so for a different reason. And there are countless great Pink Floyd songs — some would even argue that they are all great. Still, highlighting a few favorites is a great way to help others discover some great music. So, for the Floyd heads out there, what are your favorites, and why? Top three? Top ten? Top ???


Dialogue

58 Responses Jump to comment form

1H5N1

April 24, 2008 at 10:21 am

What to say further more? :)
Maybe I’d include also Cirrus Minor.
That song is so sad and beatiful at the same time.
Anyway Pink Floyd are my favourite band :D

2Martin

April 24, 2008 at 12:08 pm

i love “ehoes” from the live in pompeii set, or meddle lp. great idea for a post, nice one.

3Perishable

April 27, 2008 at 10:45 am

Yes, Cirrus Minor and Echoes both deserve to be included on the list. I have to admit that my selections were a bit biased because of my desire to represent as many albums as possible, especially for everything released after Dark Side of the Moon. Otherwise, I think Echoes would have replaced Another Brick in the Wall and Cirrus Minor would have replaced Obscured by Clouds or something else, after a bit of rearranging ;)

4H5N1

April 27, 2008 at 11:14 pm

I’m agree! :)

5nowhere.elysium

May 1, 2008 at 12:18 pm

I’d have to say that you need ‘Wish You Were Here’ out: it’s a beautiful song, even if the lyrical theme is a little hackneyed - the whole ‘War is bad, mmmmkay?’ thing is a bit overdone, but it is masterfully replayed in this track.

Just my 2c

6Perishable

May 4, 2008 at 7:36 am

Yes, thanks for the feedback.. although I am not entirely clear as to your meaning. Are you saying that Wish You Were Here needs to be added, or needs to be taken out? I assume you meant the former because it’s not on the list to begin with. In any case, I agree that it is a beautiful song, even if it has been (over)played to death. Also, about the lyrics, to suggest that they have anything to do with a “War is bad” theme is a bit of a stretch. As far as I can tell, the song deals more with longing, friendship, and growing (apart) than it does with war. Granted, many other Floyd lyrics deal with the subject of war — perhaps you were thinking of a different song?

7Justin

May 6, 2008 at 1:07 pm

Nice to see ackowledgment of the Unknown Song as Pink Floyd at their best. Thier are three versions of it I know of, one of them is very hard to find, the other is often listed as ‘Rain in the Country’. They all have thier own charm. I would add Pillow of Winds, Fat Old Sun, Ibiza Bar, Matilda Mother and Flaming to the list but I guess theres no room.

8Perishable

May 6, 2008 at 1:46 pm

Three different versions of the Unknown Song? Seriously? And I call myself a fan. The only version that I am familiar with is the one included on Zabriskie Point. I don’t suppose you would be kind enough to point me in the right direction for the other two versions..? I would be extremely grateful ;) Btw, I completely agree about your additional song choices. — Time for a new list! :)

9Michael Decker

July 28, 2008 at 6:35 pm

I love these so called fans and leave out songs like numb, SFOS, CBTL, RLH, WTTM, UAT, WYWH, and for the love of everything Echoes, off top 10 list?

Pathetic

10Perishable

July 29, 2008 at 6:29 am

Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your favorite Pink Floyd songs! You are obviously a bigger fan than any of us, throwing all those fancy acronyms around! For the record, here is what a “real” Floyd fan considers to be the top ten Pink Floyd songs of all time:

Michael Decker’s Top Ten Pink Floyd Songs

  • Comfortably Numb
  • Saucerful of Secrets
  • Coming Back to Life
  • Run Like Hell
  • Welcome to the Machine
  • Us and Them
  • Wish You Were Here
  • Echoes

Granted, that’s only eight songs, but at least they aren’t as “pathetic” as my choices, right? Thanks again for enlightening us mere mortals, Michael! ;)

11August Klotz

July 29, 2008 at 7:40 am

Speaking of pathetic, Michael’s third favorite song is from the pathetically lame “Division Bell”, which is basically a glorified Gilmour album with guest appearances by Mason and Wright — Roger Waters had nothing to do with it. Call me pathetic, but without Waters, it just ain’t Pink Floyd!

12Marshall

July 29, 2008 at 8:32 am

Ack! Comfortably Numb? Run Like Hell? Wish You Were Here?!?! Seriously?! Give me a break, Michael — half of your “Top Ten” choices are overplayed media cliches popularized by mainstream pop culture. They appear on just about every uninspired, unoriginal top-ten list ever created! Try reaching back a little further into the archives, and for the love of all that’s right and good in the world, “Division Bell” is NOT a Pink Floyd album!!

13H5N1

July 30, 2008 at 12:50 am

1 - I don’t think that if a song is good and I like it then it becomes a bad song if it’s a “overplayed media cliches popularized by mainstream pop culture”

2 - I don’t (can’t?) include Division Bell in my Pink Floyd albums list

14Jeff Starr

July 30, 2008 at 8:30 am

@Marshall: Even the overplayed Floyd songs are excellent, it all depends on how you listen to them. For example, whenever I hear a song like Wish You Were Here on the radio, I tend to cringe a little bit, but then find myself able to enjoy it in more of a nostalgic sort of way. Conversely, when I am working on art or the computer, and am diving into Floyd music with the headphones on, listening to Wish You Were Here is an incredible and inspiring experience.

@H5N1: I certainly agree with your first statement, especially when it comes to Pink Floyd. I do think many Floyd songs are overplayed on the radio (and have been for many years), but that is only because they are great songs. As suggested in the previous comment, it’s all a matter of perspective when listening to Pink Floyd. Also, I absolutely agree with you (and others) that The Division Bell — as “neat” as it is — does not qualify as a true Pink Floyd album. Further, as much as I enjoy Momentary Lapse of Reason, I do not consider it a “real” Floyd release.

15Marv Chomer

September 17, 2008 at 6:26 pm

  1. Echoes
  2. Sheep
  3. Dogs
  4. Us and Them
  5. Shine on you Crazy Diamond
  6. On the Run/Time
  7. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
  8. Not gonna be on many lists but When the Tigers Broke Free
  9. The Final Cut
  10. Pigs

As you can see — I really like Animals!

16Jeff Starr

September 21, 2008 at 8:37 am

Excellent selections, Marv. Animals is my favorite Pink Floyd album of all time. It is so absolutely heavy and moving that I can’t do anything else when I listen to it. Just have to lie down with the headphones on and let it go..

Also enjoy When the Tigers Broke Free, although I agree that many won’t agree with that one. Also rare on top-ten lists is anything off the Final Cut.. another excellent album that demands your full attention.

17Think Floyd

September 22, 2008 at 7:43 am

Interesting list!

I think that Meddle is my favourite album - mostly because it brings back memories of my teenage years.

My favourite song (at this moment, it can change from day to day) is Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

18Jeff Starr

September 24, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Meddle is another excellent album, indeed. I especially enjoy A Pillow of Winds, Fearless, and San Tropez — such a diverse array of music demonstrated in just three songs, which are then further contrasted against the heaviness of One of these Days, the Echoes odyssey, and the eclectic nonsense of howling hound sounds. Or something.

19Marv Chomer

September 24, 2008 at 3:36 pm

If I had to rate albums in order it would be:

  1. Animals
  2. Meddle
  3. Dark Side
  4. The Final Cut
  5. 5+6 (Tie) Wish you Were Here and The Wall

It’s funny because the first time I listened to Animals and Meddle–I didn’t like them. The second time, I was hooked. I watched Live at Pompei years ago and hated it–now, it blows me away. It’s amazing to me.

Also, I have seen Roger Waters a few times in concert and TOTALLY avoided the new Pink Floyd and you know what? I just bought The Division Bell and it does have some treats in it. I also just bought David Gilmore’s new DVD and actually liked some of his new stuff (On an Island) as well as the newest rendition of Echoes–fantastic! Too bad R. Wright just passed away–I think I would have gone to see the new Floyd without Waters after all these years of avoiding them.

Marv

20Marv Chomer

September 24, 2008 at 3:38 pm

By the way–I do a lot of programming and when I need to tune out the wife/kids/TV–I listen to Animals, Dark Side, Meddle and Wish you Were Here–get a lot of work done that way.

21Jeff Starr

September 27, 2008 at 6:56 pm

Hi Marv, it sounds like we have a lot in common. I remember not liking Ummagumma, Animals, or the Final Cut at first listen. I have always liked Wish you Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon, but for some reason the sound of some of the other albums just didn’t “click” until after the third or fourth time hearing them. Now, many years later, I think that they are some of the finest albums ever recorded. They are indeed “amazing.”

I was lucky enough to see both Roger Waters and Pink Floyd (well, “Floyd” without Waters). The Floyd concert in Vancouver was good, but the Waters show at the Columbia Gorge blew me away; it was excellent.

Speaking of “new” Floyd, I have always liked Momentary Lapse of Reason, and have to agree that there are some gems on Division Bell (e.g., Coming Back to Life). I can only imagine how different these albums would have been with Roger Waters.

Now, getting to On an Island, at first I wanted to avoid it because About Face was so terrible. But now that I have heard several good reviews (including yours), I am thinking that it might be worth a listen, especially if it includes a new rendition of Echoes (another one of my favorites). Btw, have you heard Gilmour’s first, self-titled solo album? It takes a few listens, but it is SO good.

Lastly, your comment was the first I had heard that Richard Wright had passed away. That really sucks. I read that Gilmour had some kind words to say about him, and also played a moving rendition of Remember a Day as a tribute. Needless to say, I will be listening to Pink Floyd from a slightly different perspective now that he is gone..

Ditto on your second comment ;)

22Sage

October 5, 2008 at 3:51 pm

So far, my favorite albums are:

  1. Meddle
  2. The Final Cut
  3. More
  4. A Momentary Lapse of Reason
  5. Ummagumma

I still don’t have A Saucerful of Secrets or The Division Bell, so please don’t get mad that they are’nt on there. If I had to choose a favorite song, it would probably be Echoes with Two Suns In the Sunset next in line.

BTW, the backround wallpaper on this site is cool.

23Jeff Starr

October 6, 2008 at 8:37 am

Hi Sage! Another excellent list of favorites. Personally, I would swap out Momentary Lapse of Reason for something like Animals or Wish you Were Here. Also, you must listen to Saucerful of Secrets — even if you hate it (and you won’t), it is one of the best Pink Floyd albums ever recorded. Some of the songs require a few listens, but others (and you will know which ones I am talking about) will immediately inspire you. As for the Division Bell, don’t sweat it, there are a couple gems, but that’s about it. Btw, thanks for the compliment on the background graphics! ;)

24Sage

October 7, 2008 at 6:37 pm

Well, I have heard Corporal Clegg and Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, but i’m too broke to by any more albums right now. I’ve also heard that The Division Bell was’nt very good and Marooned and High Hopes are the only ones worth listening to. Anyway, I might swap out A Momentary Lapse for The Wall.

25Drew17

December 3, 2008 at 6:51 pm

I don’t know about anyone else here but my favorite song is learning to fly.

Although I do admit the middle of the song is just noise :-\

26Sage

December 5, 2008 at 4:11 pm

Well, i’m glad there’s someone else out there who likes that album. A lot of people say that the David Gilmour Era was terrible, but they were amazing. They say it’s “not floyd”, whick I think is stupid. I think it is Floyd, just a different side of it which I am glad to hear. Don’t get me wrong, Roger Waters’ Era was awesome too, but it got kinda repetetive.

27Jeff Starr

December 7, 2008 at 8:40 am

@Drew17: Learning to Fly is one of my favorites and by far the best song on Momentary Lapse of Reason. I disagree that “the middle of the song is just noise,” however, as it seems to be a carefully assembled mix of various sounds involved with the process of flying an airplane..

@Sage: I admit, Gilmour and the boys worked their tails off and produced an excellent album with Momentary Lapse of Reason, but it lacks the depth that Waters brings as well as the synergy achieved when the entire group plays together. Also, I disagree that Floyd with Waters is repetitive; on the contrary, I find most of non-Waters Floyd embarrassingly monotonous, shallow, and uninteresting.

28Sage

December 11, 2008 at 5:18 pm

Really? I did’nt find anything monotonous about their last two albums. But I am glad you at least listened to the albums. Most people I know who favor the Waters Floyd won’t give it a chance. By the way, i’m not a Gilmour fanboy, just to clear things up. I personally like Pink Floyd the most ‘75 and before.

29Jeff Starr

December 14, 2008 at 9:00 am

Floyd ‘75 and before.. so basically you like everything except Animals, The Wall, and Final Cut. I agree that Final Cut is not for everyone, but The Wall is one of the all-time best albums by any band. I respect your opinions, but cannot understand how you could not like Animals — it is the heaviest, most intense album ever recorded by Pink Floyd. It blows my mind every time I listen to it..

30Sage

December 14, 2008 at 7:22 pm

Well, I meant I liked Pink Floyd the most ‘75 and before. I still like The Wall and all that stuff, I actually liked The Final Cut more than The Wall. And Animals was pretty good album as well.Sheep has a good concept to it. In fact, the whole album does.

31Jeff Starr

December 15, 2008 at 6:45 pm

@Sage: So what are three favorite Floyd albums of all time? If I were to guess, I would say probably Dark Side of the Moon, Meddle, and Saucerful of Secrets? Also, have you heard the Zabriskie Point singles? Ever seen Pink Floyd in concert?

32Sage

December 17, 2008 at 3:53 pm

My top three Pink Floyd albums? Pretty much what you said. Sadly, A Saucerful of Secrets and Meddle don’t get enough credit as they should… Although if I could, might add The Final Cut and The Division Bell.

It kills me to say it, but I have not seen Pink Floyd in concert, but I have seen videos of them (Delicate Sound of Thunder, The Wall, P*U*L*S*E) and they are FANTASTIC at live shows. Also, I have heard a few Zambriskie Point songs. I forget there actual names, but it was something like Unknown Song, Love Song, and Come Number 51, Your Time Is Up… or something like that.

33Daniel

December 28, 2008 at 9:03 pm

For me is incredible that some people are so fanatics that can’t listen “A momentary lapse of reason” and “the division bell” just because RW wasn’t part of it. Believe me, you are missing two terrific albums, and probably if the name of Roger just appears on any of it (without any changes), you will consider them amazing.
The rest is about taste…

  • “High hopes”
  • “On the turning way”
  • “Run like hell”
  • “Money”
  • “Wots… uh the deal”
  • “The Fletcher memorial home”
  • “Pigs [Three Different Ones]”
  • “Fat old sun”
  • “One of these days”
  • “Astronomy domine”

..and all of the album “Wish you were here”

34Jeff Starr

January 1, 2009 at 9:40 am

@Daniel: That is an incredible list of Floyd hits! Wots.. Uh, the Deal is a long-time favorite of mine, as are the last five picks on your list. And, for what it’s worth, I certainly do think that the two Waterless (dry?) albums you mention are decent enough in their own right, but they lack not only the wit and angst of Waters’ influence, but also the unmistakable synergy created when the entire band plays together in cohesive fashion. This synergy can even be felt on Wish You Were Here, even though the band was admittedly miles apart mentally while producing the album. Momentary Lapse may have benefited from Waters’ absence, but Division Bell suffered from it. My opinion! ;)

35H5N1

January 1, 2009 at 5:02 pm

I prefer the “old style” Pink Floyd periods. The last three albums (I include “Delicate Sound of Thunder” too) seems to be something else from Pink Floyd sound, not bad, but different.
They seems to be some kind of Gilmour albums, in some way just like the (great!) The Final Cut is for Waters :)
And you know that “Water” is life! ;)

36PINK-FILLIX

April 8, 2009 at 8:20 am

My top 10 Pink Floyd Song:

  • Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)
  • Wish You Were Here
  • Comfortably Numb
  • Shine On You Crazy Diamond
  • Time
  • Echoes
  • Money
  • Hey You
  • Pigs (Three Different Ones)
  • Learning To Fly

My Top 10 Pink Floyd Album:

  • The Wall
  • The Dark Side Of The Moon
  • Wish You Were Here
  • Animals
  • The Division Bell
  • A Saucerful Of Secrets
  • A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
  • Meddle
  • The Piper Gates Of Dawn
  • Atom Heart Mother

37H5N1

April 8, 2009 at 8:31 am

I cannot say wich album is my best…
I cannot decide! :)

38Jeff Starr

April 8, 2009 at 8:41 am

I know what you mean! I think it all depends on the mood that I am in at the time. When I am up, then early Floyd hits the spot. When I am down, I like to lurk within the shadows of The Wall. And for just about everything else, I think Dark Side of the Moon is about as perfect as it gets.

39Johnny Rockets

April 15, 2009 at 6:23 am

I was surprised reading this that no one had mentioned Atom Heart Mother Suite. I quite often listen to that while working. But I would have to say that The Wall, Dark Side & Wish You Were Here get a thrashing while I work.

I hate the arguments over wether a album with Roger Waters is a Floyd album or not. If you take this logic then nor are any albums with out Syd Barrett true Floyd albums either. Go check the writing credits on Piper at the Gates - almost all Barrett. Waters, Gilmour, Wright & Mason all contributed over the years on many albums - espically Ummagumma.

For those who think Comfortably Numb is too commercial I don’t care - that solo blows me away everytime. I’ve started collecting differnet live versions of it just for the nuanice of it each time Dave plays. It doesn’t help when they edit out a couple of minutes on some of the offical release live recordings.

40Jeff Starr

April 19, 2009 at 3:53 pm

@Johnny Rockets: As far as I understand it, the argument that Floyd isn’t “Floyd” without Waters rests entirely on the presence of Roger Waters himself. The idea here is that Waters’ influence is essential for Pink Floyd to work. This line of thinking does not extend to any other member of the band. In other words, your logic is mistaken because it assumes that the argument holds true for any Floyd member. If this were the case, then there is only one true Pink Floyd album, Saucerful of Secrets, which involved all five members of the band. Obviously this isn’t the case.

41Mark

May 26, 2009 at 9:52 am

No-one included ‘Bike’ on their list!

I’ve got a bike
You can ride it if you like
It’s got a basket
A bell that rings
And things to make it look good …

Pure poetry!

42Fintan

June 7, 2009 at 11:24 am

Well, as Pink Floyd are my favourite band, this list is subject to constant revision.

  1. Comfortably Numb
  2. Echoes
  3. Shine On You Crazy Diamond
  4. Dogs
  5. Wish You Were Here
  6. Us and Them
  7. Time
  8. Sheep
  9. Run Like Hell
  10. The Final Cut

Post-Waters Pink Floyd was okay, but lacking Waters’ lyrical genius. “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” is, in my opinion, a very poor album, though Gilmour redeemed himself somewhat with “The Division Bell”, which is a pretty good album.

Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd are, all joking aside, best appreciated whilst under the influence (of any intoxicant.) My favourite Barrett-PF songs are “Lucifer Sam” and “Arnold Layne”, and he wrote some great solo stuff too - “Here I Go”, “Dominoes”, “Gigolo Aunt”, “Octopus” etc. Whilst what happened to Syd was a tragic shame, I feel that ultimately Pink Floyd were better off without him.

Favourite albums:

  1. The Dark Side of the Moon
  2. Wish You Were Here
  3. Animals
  4. The Wall
  5. The Final Cut
  6. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
  7. Meddle
  8. The Division Bell
  9. Obscured By Clouds
  10. Relics (patchy, but it has some classics e.g. “Arnold Layne” and “Cirrus Minor)

However, I maintain that the greatest album of all time (even greater than “TDSOTM”) is Roger Waters’ “Amused To Death”. Check it out - it’s an incredible album.

43Jeff Starr

June 7, 2009 at 6:44 pm

@Fintan: We have much in common! All of your ten-best songs have made my list at one point or another, but these days I don’t include most of the overplayed stuff, especially Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here and such. But I totally agree that these lists tend to change with my mood, the time of day, and even the seasons. Here is a seasonal summary of Floyd listening preferences:

  • Spring — Meddle, Obscured by Clouds
  • Summer — Dark Side, Wish You Were Here
  • Autumn — Animals, Wall, Final Cut
  • Winter — Early Floyd (first five albums)

But even that list changes from year to year. I have some really great memories of listening to early Floyd’s laid-back, groovy, instrumental, psychedelic stuff during cold, dark winter nights, if you know what I mean. Similar to other seasons, memories of great listening experiences in the past have inspired certain listening habits. Nothing beats kicking back on a beautiful summer evening listening to the atmospheric orchestration of Wish You Were Here.

For the solo stuff, not much to shout about there, especially where Gilmour-powered stuff is concerned (although his first solo album is one of my favorite all-time albums). Waterless Floyd? Not so much, and I really didn’t care for Division Bell, even though the concert was pretty good. But I wholeheartedly and 100% agree with you that Waters’ Amused to Death is an incredible album — one of the best ever recorded and arguably the best Floyd-related album ever.

For the Syd material, I second your general take — it’s pretty hard to sit through unless you are zonked out of your skull. By far, Birdie Hop is one of Barrett’s finest poetic/lyrical moments.

44Fintan

June 10, 2009 at 8:51 am

Your seasonal approach to Pink Floyd is interesting - I’ve never come across an idea quite like that before. I would have to say:

  • Spring — “Meddle”, “Obscured By Clouds” and “The Division Bell”
  • Summer — “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” and “Wish You Were Here”
  • Autumn — “The Dark Side of the Moon”, “Animals” and “The Wall”
  • Winter — “The Final Cut”

“Piper”, after all, was from the “Summer of Love” in 1967. The Autumn material is all quite dark, especially “Animals”, which for me has a unique power that I am yet to find anywhere else, even in “The Wall”. Perhaps it’s my sentimentality - “Animals” was the album which sparked my obsession with Pink Floyd in the first place. I still get chills listening to “Dogs” now, especially the intro, as it was the first Pink Floyd song I ever listened to.

As for “Waterless Floyd”, I am in conflict with myself over whether or not post-Waters Pink Floyd is really Pink Floyd at all. For me, Pink Floyd is partly about the synergy achieved by the four members, but mainly about Roger Waters’ genius. The brilliance of Gilmour and Wright comes across as a tad bland and middle-of-the-road without a guiding force i.e. Roger Waters. In my opinion, their finest hour was “The Dark Side of the Moon”, where they all contributed considerably not only to the overall feel of the album, but to the songwriting (even Nick Mason has a couple of credits.) That being said, Waters-dominated Floyd (everything after “DSOTM” up until he left), is fantastic and easily better than their earlier stuff, which, up until “Meddle”, lacked any real purpose or direction.

“A Momentary Lapse of Reason” has a classic album cover but largely terrible music. “Sorrow” is a classic PF song, but besides that, only “Learning to Fly” helps give “Momentary Lapse” any redeeming qualities (”One Slip” is okay as well, I guess, but it’s hardly up to the standards of pre-1984 Pink Floyd.) “The Division Bell”, however, I find on the whole to be a good album. “High Hopes” is a highly moving song, and besides a couple of very average tunes, I feel that the album as a whole was easily David Gilmour’s finest hour as a songwriter.

To me, post-Waters “Pink Floyd” is a bit like “post-Lennon The Beatles”. It just doesn’t feel right to the point of seeming absurd. I am more inclined to regard Gilmour, Wright and Mason as just that - Gilmour, Wright and Mason - and not Pink Floyd.

45Stephen

June 23, 2009 at 11:35 pm

I would have to say my favorite albums would be like this:

  1. Wish You Were Here
  2. Dark Side of the Moon
  3. Meddle
  4. Animals
  5. The Wall
  6. Atom Heart Mother
  7. Piper at the Gates of Dawn
  8. Saucerful of Secrets.

Songs:

  1. Breathe
  2. Shine on
  3. Comfortably Numb (PULSE version)
  4. Echoes
  5. Fat Old Sun
  6. One of These Days
  7. Another Brick in the Wall (all parts)
  8. Time
  9. Dogs
  10. Lucifer Sam

46Ben

June 24, 2009 at 5:20 pm

id put atom heart mother in there. its great to listen to with hq headphones with all the brass instruments playing. i also think the entire division bell album is great for audio[hiles since the quality is so rich and so much greatness

47Steve

June 27, 2009 at 9:19 am

  1. A Saucerful of Secrets (Live - Ummagumma)
  2. Echoes
  3. The Embryo (Live - Peel Sessions)
  4. Careful With That Axe Eugene (Live - Ummagumma)
  5. Time
  6. Childhood’s End
  7. The Great Gig in the Sky
  8. Shine On You Crazy Diamond
  9. Dogs
  10. Us and Them

No one else on here mentioned Childhood’s End. It is easily the best song on Obscured by Clouds and seems to be overlooked quite often.

48Sean

June 29, 2009 at 11:46 am

Good list, but where is Comfortably Numb?

49Ben

June 29, 2009 at 1:48 pm

comfortably numb is great, but hasnt much to offer with hq equipment.

50Ben

June 29, 2009 at 2:01 pm

my favorite albums best to worst:

  1. Dark Side of the Moon
  2. Division Bell
  3. The Wall
  4. Animals
  5. Wish You Were Here
  6. Meddle
  7. Obscured By Clouds
  8. A Momentary Lapse of Reason
  9. Atom Heart Mother
  10. Ummagumma
  11. A Saucerful of Secrets
  12. The Final Cut
  13. Piper At the Gates of Dawn (respect it but way better live)
  14. More

51Adrian

July 7, 2009 at 7:21 pm

Why hasn’t interstellar overdrive been mentioned? the ending with headphones is perfect and trippy. Lucifer Sam is also very good with headphones. or barely any early stuff. Its absolutely amazing. Paint box is also very good. my favorite period goes right up to Meddle. One of these day and Echoes are the best of that album. the one thing i love about piper is all the songs except gnome have sick instrumental sections. and gnome amazing as it is.

52Jeff Starr

July 8, 2009 at 8:36 am

Hi Adrian, thanks for mentioning these songs. I agree that their earlier stuff is absolutely incredible and always an intense ride. They wouldn’t be Floyd without it.

53sean don.

September 8, 2009 at 2:49 pm

  1. pigs on the wing
  2. pillow of winds
  3. grantchester meadows
  4. goodbye cruel world
  5. nobody home/vera
  6. mother
  7. wish you were here
  8. set the controls for the heart of the sun
  9. or (stcfthots)
  10. bike
  11. stoned alone

i think pink floyd songs i made into 5 catorgies

  1. soft folk
  2. hard rock
  3. expermential
  4. syd barret days
  5. new floyd

54gerrard8dg

October 18, 2009 at 7:49 am

heres my list:

  1. echoes
  2. one the run/time
  3. one of these days!!!
  4. dogs
  5. shine on you crazy diamond
  6. wish you were here
  7. careful with the axe eugene
  8. money
  9. sorrow
  10. another brick in the wall

to be frank, tho i like comfortably numb, i think pink floyd has much more to offer..

55Eric

December 2, 2009 at 7:09 pm

Glad I’m not the only one that thinks Fearless is their best song. I love all of their stuff, but nothing strikes me like that one.

56Jeff Starr

December 5, 2009 at 9:57 pm

Amen, Eric! I couldn’t agree more =)

57Paul

February 8, 2010 at 6:56 pm

First off great list. Probably the one of the best I’ve ever seen. I enjoyed your limiting of The Wall, and Dark Side of the Moon. Here is my List:
1. Hey You
2. Fearless
3. Pigs
4. Jugband Blues
5. Nobody Home
6. Wish you were here
7. Sheep
8. Dogs
9. On The Turning Away
10. Comfortably Numb
I love all of Pink Floyds albums but for some reason Animals just gets to me. It is perfect in every way, except that it only works as an album for me. I must listen to all of it. But song wise Hey You and Fearless are both perfect songs. One point I disagree with you on is that Jugband Blues is vastly superior to Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun if you want to talk about Saucer Full Of Secrets. Excelent list otherwise. Well done.

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Perishable Press is the virtual playground of Jeff Starr — visionary, founder and lead developer of Monzilla Media, a small web and graphic design company in the lush desert oasis of Moses Lake, Washington. Perishable Press features articles and tutorials on many aspects of digital design..

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heading out of town on a photographic excursion. great way to break up the routine.

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Office painted a warmish/neutral off-white color. New 2.1...

Tue, 02 Feb 2010


New office digs..


Night view..


Potential..

Office painted a warmish/neutral off-white color. New 2.1 Altec/Lansing speakers for crisp, clear sound. Two new executive desks: one for computer biz and another workspace for drawing, painting, and other offline pursuits. And of course, a big, cushy black office chair to make it all sweet.

Quick Photoshop Reset

Tue, 19 Jan 2010

Very good Photoshop trick to know: If you hold down ALT+CTRL+SHIFT (Mac: CMD+OPT+SHIFT) while starting Photoshop you can reset all settings back to factory default. Very useful if you have problems with some tools or the interface. – http://bit.ly/4A5LJ5

Insane October

Sun, 01 Nov 2009

By far the most insane month of 2009, October included the following activities:

1st week: Trip to the East Coast, beginning with some business in Connecticut.

2nd week: East Coast trip continues with much pleasure in downtown Manhattan.

3rd week: Photo and art excursions with good friend visiting from Portland, OR.

4th week: Marathon book-editing and fine-tuning for Digging into WordPress.

Now that November is here, things remain busy, but I am hoping to get a chance to restore some balance and regain my equilibrium. Of course, the holidays are right around the corner..

Import Feeds to Facebook

Mon, 07 Sep 2009

Seems like a lot of misinformation and confusion out there on how to import and display your feeds on Facebook. Here is what worked for me:

1. In the lower left-hand corner of your Facebook account, click on “Applications” > “Notes”.

2. In the upper mid-right column, click on “Import a blog” in the “Notes Settings” panel.

3. In the “Import an External Blog” panel, enter your feed URL and check the little box.

4. Click the “Start importing” button and then click on “Confirm Import” on the preview page.

That’s all there is to it. Don’t forget to edit your “Notes Privacy” settings to ensure that people can see and comment on your imported feed items.

Once you successfully import your feed(s), they will appear by clicking on the “Notes” button in the left sidebar of your Home page. Also, your timeline or “Wall” will also display the most recent post from each of your feeds as they are published and pulled into Facebook. This makes it easy for your “Friends” to see what you have been up to elsewhere on the Web.

help me in plain english

Mon, 31 Aug 2009

This has got to be the most ironic comment I have ever read:

“hi i dun a stupid noooby mistake and dint think about encrytion i just put a pass in the change pass box and now when i attempt to see my main.php or index.php its sayin password no and error how can i reset back to having no password or were can i edit the bit so that a pass is automattically seen or if not posable how can i make it so i can put in the pass i made at some point so i can login this way? the 3rd is most prefered as this will help me with other projects i am planning as i am a php noob :s plz sum1 hu is clever help me in plain english”

Thanks, “jay” — you made my week with that one.

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